Engagement rings can be complicated. During happy times, an engagement ring represents love, commitment and the promise of a happily ever after. But that same ring sometimes becomes a symbol of broken hearts and promises—and an expensive item to argue over in the event of separation. People fight for engagement rings for all sorts of reasons: as a reminder of a happier time, as a valuable asset that can be easily sold or because the ring is a family heirloom. Like I said: complicated. The law doesn’t always take account of those complications—which is why many couples today are making their own agreement about what to do with the ring if things don’t work out.